Shaving Tips From Moroccan Street Shavers

Street shaver tip 3: Use fresh blades on loose skin

Letting someone else shave you can be stressful at first, particularly when that person is doing so with an open blade razor with all its mafia-flick connotations. It might even recall that feeling that accompanies watching the nurse prepare the syringe for your shot. Fear not! The open-blade shave actually produces an agreeable sensation, especially when it is performed by a professional. Reda, like every barber I've met in Morocco, uses a modern version of the open blade: A metallic, boomerang-shaped instrument that simply acts as a holder for an old-school half-blade, allowing for a new replacement blade for each new customer. Reda took the time to show me that he was unwrapping a brand new blade, with a label that read "Gillette." I was reassured.

Reda procedeed by shaving against the grain, using half-inch strokes and a constant degree of pressure. Instead of stretching the skin just before the passage of the blade — "a common mistake," he told me — he ensured that the area being shaven remained loose by gently pushing the skin on my cheek toward the blade with his free hand, thus creating a little wave or mound of skin to shave over. Doing so prevents the beheading of protuberances, anesthetic cuts and bleeding dots. So Reda actually gave us two tips: 1. Use fresh blades as often as you can — if you're using a typical Gillette Mach 3 user, one cartridge a week is the optimal frequency; 2. Don't stretch your skin as you shave, do the opposite and loosen it. The combination of these two techniques will greatly limit cuts and blemishes.

Street shaver tip 4: Go with the grain and against it

Adil was a strong proponent of performing two shaving rounds: the first one going along the grain, the second against it. Between these two shaves, he reapplied a bit of paste and went for another one-minute brushing session. He also used a new blade for the second round. Interesting. At home, try to mimic as many of these steps as you can, as they really limit the growth of new hair. Men who usually need to shave every day might realize that a proper close shave, performed over two rounds, might help reduce the frequency of shaving.

Street shaver tip 5: Treat your skin post-shave

After being shaved, the skin will remain in a fragile state for a few hours if it is not treated; it will have temporarily lost a lot of its natural protection and will need some compensatory protection from its owner: you. After shaving me, Adil brought out a peculiar looking, clear stone which he gently rubbed on my skin. I later found out it was an Alum; a crystal which, when applied directly to the skin, acts as a mild antiseptic and leaves a thin protective film. For these reasons, Alums are a good substitute for alcohol-based aftershaves which are effective yet painful. You can buy these stones online or in specialty shops.

Younès, a 20-something-year old barber, was an advocate of the alcohol-based aftershave. His came packaged in a clear, suspiciously nameless bottle, and it burned like hell. After having had it applied to my face I was sure that any remaining bacteria had been completely annihilated. After his "aftershave" had evaporated, Younès applied a fair quantity of regular moisturizing cream. Post-shave, it is important to nourish the skin, as shaving parches it. Moisture is essential to the skin as it acts as a shield against external aggressions from sun rays, pollution, and direct contact with bacteria. At home, take the time to apply both an antiseptic (alcohol-based or not) and a moisturizer after you shave. These products come in many brands and grades in North America. Choose something that suits your skin.

shaving tips from street shavers

If there’s a single tip to take from Moroccan street shavers, it would be this: Invest in the proper shaving equipment and use the proper techniques. If you can't devote at least 15 minutes of your time to shaving, I recommend postponing the job until you can. Shaving should be approached as a small ceremony; do so and gradually this mandatory, boring and time-consuming activity will evolve into an empowering and pleasant moment, and one that you will be proud to pass on to the next generation.